Tag Archives: around vancouver

With the number of parks we visit around Vancouver, Gracen and I may as well be labelled playground connoisseurs. And while Grae has fun wherever we are, there is one playground that seems to be her clear favourite. It’s not big and it’s nothing over the top fancy, but it’s just perfect for her.

It’s the playground at the Langara YMCA on 49th at Alberta.

It’s one of those playgrounds that is perfectly suited to littler kids (I’d say probably ages 1.5 to 5). With the exception of getting in and out of the swings and climbing onto the airplane bouncers which are still a little too high, Gracen can do everything on her own at this playground. What makes it even better is the big firetruck apparatus she pretends to drive, the drums built into one of the climbing structures, the plastic bubble she loves to curl up in, and the covered area, complete with mini picnic tables for snacks and lunch on the go.

If you’re a parent to a toddler and you’re not too far away, I’d say a visit to this little playground would be well worth the trip.

Vancouver parents, which park/playground do you and your little one(s) enjoy most?

Yesterday, while at a park in the Riverside area, Gracen and I were reminded that blackberry season is in full swing in the Lower Mainland. We quickly picked enough for dessert, then continued on our way, and agreed to come back the following day to get more.

Unfortunately, we’re still dealing with some nap issues, and Gracen didn’t end up sleeping this afternoon. After giving her a good hour and 45 minutes to try to fall asleep, we hopped in the car and headed out to go blackberry picking. She was all gung-ho, but after being in the car just 5 minutes, I turned around to find this. My nap-needing little monkey fast asleep in her car seat.

(As a side note, I know that her leg positioning looks a little awkward in this photo, but having her feet propped up like this isn’t her usual riding position. Normally her legs are either criss-crossed or down to the sides, and because she’s never known any different, she doesn’t mind one bit. Our plan was to keep her rear-facing until her second birthday, but as the day looms near and I continue to read articles like this and this and watch videos like this and this, I’m starting to feel like we should wait longer. We’ll have to see.)

Luckily, I was able to find plenty of bushes right along the road to pull up to and pick from while Grae snoozed peacefully with the car doors open. Let me tell you, it worked out for the best that she fell asleep. Blackberry picking is dangerous work.

2. Wear long sleeves. Blackberry prickles are ruthless and the more protection you have from them, the better.

3. Wear jeans instead of a sundress. See reasoning above.

3. Don’t discriminate based on size. As long as their dark in colour and slightly soft, small berries are every bit as delicious as the big ones.

4. Bring a tall friend. Let me tell you – if I were only 6 to 8 inches taller, my collection would be much, much larger.

5. The industrial area just south of Marine Drive between Cambie and Kerr is absolutely overflowing with blackberry bushes just waiting to be picked. Buying blackberries at a grocery store seems crazy right now.

Gracen and I finally made it to Grays Park for the first time today… I don’t know what took us so long – it’s almost the exact same distance from our house to Grays as it is to Queen Elizabeth Park, and we’re at Queen E. at least a few times a week. Either way, I’m glad we finally checked it out. Located at the corner of E 33rd and St. Catherine’s, Gray’s Park is a big green space that includes two separate play apparatuses, two sets of swings, an old-school concrete wading pool, multiple courts, and a public washroom.

Gracen really enjoyed the play areas. Besides loving the different types of swings (as she always does), she really liked the playgrounds too. Both were different than the ones we normally visit and had some great new tunnels and climbing structures for her to try out.

The wading pool was a hit also. Although it was COLD (like really cold), she was happy to alternate pool play periods with warm up breaks on our blanket in the sunshine. What I really liked was that I could easily go in wearing my skirt and because it was so shallow, I felt comfortable sitting along the edge while Miss G splashed her little heart out.

The only downsides we noticed were the bees (there were tons of them all through the park) and the fact that the pool was cleared every so often so a man wearing tall rubber boots, a rubber smock, and a Dexter-style plastic face mask could come in and sprinkle in what appeared to be chlorine/pool chemicals into the pool with a watering can (I guess I just figured that in a pool that is drained and refilled daily, these things would be skipped all together?) It’s probably not much different than being in a pool that has a more ‘automatic’ way of adding chlorine, but it definitely made you wonder each time he came out in full gear…

On Friday, Nat presents a theme in the form of a hashtag via her blog. Throughout the weekend, participating mamas take photos that show their interpretations of the theme and include the hashtag in their photos’ captions. Then, on Monday, Nat showcases a few of her favourites on her blog (Grae’s photo was featured in her #inmidtwirl showcase here). It’s fun, it’s easy to participate in, and the photos can be of anything – not just your child(ren).

This weekend’s theme was #TMEICsilhouette. I wasn’t sure I’d be able to capture a good silhouette of Miss G as she goes to bed early, and often the evening {just as the sun is beginning to set} is the best time to catch crisp silhouette photos. (I know I could take photos of other things, but let’s face it… Grae is the only thing I really take photos of these days. ☺) But tonight, when we found ourselves on an impromptu visit to White Rock Beach, the lighting was perfect, and so was Miss G’s position. Here are a few my favourites…

Ocean-dipped toes.

Papa and his girl.

Wading in.

If you’re an Instagram-loving mama, be sure to join in next weekend. Everyone is welcome! Just visit www.natnanton.com on Friday to find out the theme, and then tag away.

I’m not ashamed to say that we were back at Maple Grove Pool again today… Yes, again. But what’s not to love? Picnics, swimming, splashing, and playing, all while soaking up some vitamin D (doused in all-natural sunscreen and covered by a huge sunhat, of course…) These are the things that summer is made of.

Today my little lady and I braved the {insane} crowds and visited Granville Island. With our wagon packed with essentials, we quickly picked up our not-so-essentials (fresh bread and iced coffee) and headed over to what I think is Granville Island’s best kept secret – Ron Basford Park (one of our favourites). Even on a day where it took us 45 minutes to find a parking spot and the sidewalks were crawling with people, we were two of six people in the park (seven if you include the maintenance worker mowing the grass). We climbed to the top of the hill, laid out our blanket, and had a peaceful picnic for two upon our perch.

In an effort to keep cool while enjoying the sunshine, we tried a new outdoor pool today… The outdoor pool at Hillcrest Centre. It was a beautiful afternoon and we certainly enjoyed ourselves, but I must say, it was no competition for the lovely Maple Grove Pool. While we love Hillcrest’s indoor pool, the outdoor one was just okay. The downsides? The wading area is quite small and the non-slip pool bottom is really pokey. While probably great for safety, it’s hard on your hands, knees, and bottom, not to mention your suit! The other thing I wasn’t super keen on was the {very powerful} spray apparatus. While a ton of fun for older kids, being sprayed in the face while not expecting it was not a lot of fun for Miss G or I, and because of it’s water pressure, there are not many areas where you’re out of its range. The perks? It’s really close to us and the admission also allows you to use the indoor pool which is nice if you need a break from the sun. While it wasn’t our favourite, we’ll probably try visiting again on a morning when there may be fewer older kids and less chance of being the spray apparatus’ target.

Although Gracen watches very little television, one thing that kind of slips under the radar is watching sports with her Papa. For the last couple of months now, they’ve been all about baseball. Brad gives her a simple play-by-play of the game, and she tells him what she sees and shouts “Run, run, run!!!” as the players make their way around the bases. We’ve even started singing ‘Take Me Out to the Ball Game’ as a bedtime song. It’s pretty cute that she’s so into it.

With this newfound interest in baseball, we’ve been anxiously awaiting the opportunity to take Grae to her first live game. And today that day finally arrived.

Being that the afternoon games start at 1 and last a few hours, we decided that Bradley would go for the start of the game with Uncle Brett, Grae would have her usual 12:00 to 2:00 p.m. nap, and she and I would join halfway through. Of course, on the rare day that we planned something for right after her nap, my little consistent as can be 2 hour napper slept for an extra half hour. Not to worry though, we scored a sweet parking spot and arrived at the top of the 5th inning with plenty of game left to enjoy.

When we first sat down {in our very crowded row surrounded by people chanting and shouting} Grae was a little overwhelmed, but she quickly settled on my lap and enjoyed her bag of stove-top popcorn while watching the game as if it was what she does every saturday afternoon.

Although she was very interested in the game, she was equally interested in the bear mascots that came out in between innings. Motioning with her little pointer, she called out “Clum, clum bear!” (come, come bear!) in hopes of one coming our way. When they’d head off the field instead, she sadly say, “More bear. More bear, please, Mama.”

Despite the bears not complying with her requests, she contently took in the game, shifted from lap to lap, gobbled up ALL of the special ball game treats I’d packed for her (stove-top popcorn, 2 ingredient ice cream – both banana and mango, in-shell peanuts, and an energy bite), and made friends with other fans until the game came to an end.

Afterwards, we made our way down to the field for a few pictures and a closer view of the bears. Kids were actually invited to run the bases during this time, but it didn’t look like parents could accompany their munchkins and we were a little unsure that she’d know what to do. Next summer, maybe!

She did, however, get a close encounter with the Canadians bear, who was {of course} much cooler when looking much smaller from further away.

In the end, we left with a little lady begging for “More ball” and a promise to be back very soon. And that we will.

♥

While we’re on the topic of kids loving baseball, I recently had the opportunity to learn a little bit about a very special program the Vancouver Canadians Baseball Foundation (VCBF) is hosting this summer. Built on the belief that every child has the right to play ball, regardless of conditions that are beyond their control, the VCBF, along with the Boys and Girls Clubs of South Coast BC, are bringing more than 300 children from across the Lower Mainland to the historic Nat Bailey Stadium to take part in the first mini league of its kind. The children will be coached and mentored by local sports personalities and community figures while playing weekly ball games in an atmosphere that promotes collaboration and fair play. In addition to this wonderful opportunity, the kids involved will receive free equipment, meals, transportation, and weekly talks by inspiring athletes and leaders geared towards promoting self-esteem and leadership skills. Not only will this experience create a magical summer for these kids, but it will also create new friendships and lasting memories.

This afternoon we set out to visit another wading pool off of the Vancouver wading pools & spray parks list, but weren’t overly successful. In fact, we down right failed. I’d decided we’d to go to Balaclava Park in Dunbar, as I love the area and had read good things online. We arrived without issue to find a giant park, busy with an adult soccer tournament, but the problem was that there was no pool in sight… Now we didn’t get out of the car to scour every square inch of the park, but I figured I’d probably see some sign of a pool while circling the park very slowly again and again, no? No such luck. There was a {very} small concrete enclosure which looked like it might be used by beginning skateboarders, but could that have been it? I have no idea. To me, no water = no pool. So on we went. Back to Maple Grove Pool for the second time in the last few days. And you know what? Miss G didn’t mind a bit. Plus, she had Bubba there this time to share in all the fun.

I can’t tell you how excited I am that summer seems to finally be arriving to Vancouver. And with the new warm weather comes the opportunity to find fun new warm weather places/activities around the city to keep Miss G and I busy throughout the summer months.

I must admit, I’ve been eyeing up thislist of Vancouver wading pools and water parks for a long while now… So with the sun shining and our little house growing warm, we picked a pool, packed up our gear, and headed out to Kerrisdale this afternoon.

This beautiful little spot is part of Maple Grove Park, just off of SW Marine at Yew (6875 Yew Street). The pool is a really good size and hosts a gradual walk-in entry and a shallow ‘sandbar’, which are perfect for little ones who want to sit and splash and play. The shallower side also hosts a small slide, which Gracen was a HUGE fan of. The other side of the pool is a little deeper (just over a metre at its deepest point) and is perfect for older kiddos. Not only does it have a net and basketball hoop, but it also has a cement island in the middle for those who want to perch up in the sun.

The best part is that the pool is surrounded by plenty of grassy space and tall trees, making space to play, picnic, and get out of the sun easy to find.

As you can see in the photos, the pool wasn’t very busy when we visited (although I’m sure it gets busier – especially on the weekends) despite the fact that the weather was beautiful and the water was surprisingly warm. Needless to say, Gracen loved it.

After a snack in the sunshine and some time to dry off, we headed over to the park’s playground, which was a perfect way to end our afternoon.

♥

Maple Grove Pool is open from 10:15 a.m. to 7:45 p.m. daily, with the closing time being an hour earlier after August 21st. Admission is as follows: munckins 2 and under are free, children 3 to 18 years are $1.50, and adults are $2.50. Concession items are available and both admission and concession accept cash only.

I got this question from a local mom last time I posted about Granville Island, and I thought I’d share…

It looks like you guys go to Granville Island a lot. This summer my son will be at the age where he can enjoy these sort of outings, but the trouble is, I usually only go to the Public Market when I go to Granville Island. Where are all of these cool little spots you take your daughter to? Any tips?

I’m actually really happy to answer this question, because although I’ve always loved Granville Island, the truth is, up until we moved back to Vancouver from the Middle East, I was a Public Market and boardwalk kind of girl too. Here’s what our normal visit looks like now:

1. First off, free parking! I know that many of my friends pay for parking off the island and walk on, or park in pay lots on the island. Not necessary! If you park in the lot right beside Bridges restaurant (near the public market, but not in front of it – off to the side) you can have a free stall for 3 hours! And as long as you arrive before 9:30 or 10:00 a.m. (even on weekends) you shouldn’t have a problem finding a spot.

2. Public Market. We normally stop and get a little treat for Mama and a little treat for Grae when we visit. Grae’s treat often comes from Terra Breads. They have amazing fresh-baked bread of all sorts and can quickly tell you the ingredients in any of their homemade goodies as they keep a recipe binder on hand under the counter. Grae’s favourites are the cheese flutes (an extra special treat because they are made with white flour) and the walnut bread. If not bread, we normally stop at The Grainry. They have all kinds of natural and organic goodies for purchase in small quantities, and Grae almost always ends up choosing their no-sugar-added/unsulphered dried mango or apple. For me, it’s coffee! My newest stop of choice is Nons. They’re quick, they accept debit, and they’re located right beside the bank machine if you need to take out some cash.

3. Public Seating Area. After gathering our goodies, we almost always head outside to enjoy the seating area in front of the Public Market. Gracen watches the birds (while I put on my brave face and try not to pass my ridiculous fear of feathery friends down to my daughter), we watch the boats come and go, and enjoy the musical performances that are often happening. The only thing I don’t enjoy about this part of our day is the incredibly greedy/aggressive small dog-sized seagulls who are always trolling above head. Although it has gotten much better now that the crowds are out, we’ve been swarmed twice and let me tell you, it is FREAKY. The first time actually resulted in blood after Gracen’s finger was bit by a seagull desperate for her bread, and I’ll tell you all about today after this list. Best advice – keep all food completely tucked away.

4. Boat play structure. After our fill of aquabuses, birds, and bands, we normally stroll over to the Kid’s Market. While the Kid’s Market itself is not my favourite place, Gracen does love all of the at-toddler-eye-level toys for sale in the shops, so sometimes we take a quick browse. Most days, however, we head straight out back to the little boat play structure. Gracen rotates between the role of captain and passenger inevitably makes a new little friend or two.

5. Water park & playground. After finishing up with the play boat, we walk along the little path to the water park and playground area. The water park is still fairly new to us because we weren’t here last summer and it’s not been quite warm enough lately, but she did experiment with it a little today, and I can tell that it’s going to be a summer favourite. On the other hand, the playground is an old favourite. Between the saucer swing, the climbing structure/merry-go-round, the slides, the sand pit, and the kid-operated river, we can easily spend a couple hours there. The plus is that the False Creek Community Centre is right next to it, and we almost always duck in for a quick potty break.

6. Ron Basford Park. After coaxing Grae away from the playground, we head along the little seawall to Ron Basford Park. I personally think it’s Granville Island’s best kept secret. It’s a basically a giant grass-covered hill that is has a little path that leads to a Canadian flag at the tippy top. It’s the perfect place to let your little one run off some energy, and even better yet – it’s the perfect place for a snack stop or picnic.

7. Seawall. After leaving the park, we usually follow the seawall in front of the Granville Island Hotel and past the Sea Village. I’m not sure who loves the Sea Village more – me or Grae… How cool would it be to have your house on the water?! By the time we reach last one, without fail, Gracen’s request is loud and clear, “More home! More home!”

8. Performers. On the way back to our car, I always try to scope out one or two performances that are live in action. Grae normally gets out of her stroller so she can let loose and dance or sway to the music. After a few songs, we head back to our vehicle, load up our things, and make our way home for some lunch and a nap.

Now onto today…

What’s worse than being attacked by greedy dog-sized seagulls? Being shit on by said seagulls first, then being attacked. True story. Ugh…

Grae and I were minding our business while watching the aqua buses come and go this morning when I felt a series of warm, goopy plops hit my arm and hand. Sick. As I’m one-handedly attempting to open the diaper bag and retrieve a handful of wipes, 3 giant seagulls start swarming us. Globs of shit still all over me, I abruptly grab Gracen’s bread flute out of her hand, chuck in into the bag, and start fending off seagulls left and right. Grae’s now crying, the bird crap is dripping off of my hand, and the best part? I realize that this is all taking place in front of a row of busy window seats. I look up to see 3 people waving. Oh, let me die now…

Even worse? Me literally washing my sweater with hand soap in the bathroom sink, then ringing it out and putting it back on soaking wet because it was chilly, I had a strapless dress on, and didn’t bring anything else. FML. One thing was for sure, I wasn’t going to let a large load of bird crap ruin our morning. We had driven all the way there and Gracen was excited to explore, so on our way we went, albeit dripping wet. Here are a few photos from the better parts of today’s Granville Island adventure…

I had planned to sub today, but late last night, we decided that I’d skip what would have been my final work day this school year, and we’d head over the bridge to North Van as a family instead. And I’m so glad we did. With me working the weekdays that Brad has off, our one day a week as a family often becomes a ‘to do day’ instead of a day to get out, do something fun, and enjoy one another’s company.

A trip to Maplewood Farm as a family was just what we needed. The sun shone all day, we all had a blast, and Gracen got to show her Papa all of her animal friends she met on our last visit. We brought along with us a picnic lunch, a bag of bird seed, and by recommendation of North Shore Mama, some fresh mint for the rabbits (best tip ever seeing as the rabbits are so well fed that they turn away carrots and lettuce left and right, but gobbled up our mint leaves!)

Ooh! And did I mention that our visit cost a whopping $5?! When I got an email from Groupon advertising 2 adult admissions and 2 child admissions all for $10, I jumped on the deal. Little did I know, Groupon was having a deal of their own – $5 off any Groupon. Whew! Doesn’t get much better than that, now does it? Especially since admission for the 3 of us would normally cost about $20. (Have I mentioned that becoming part of the Ogasawara family has made me a sucker for a good deal?!)

Gracen and I had a regular little day planned out, but when the sunshine popped out and we received an early morning text from my good friend Steph, it was off to White Rock for a morning along the ocean with friends. We explored the beach, dipped our toes in the water, drew G’s in the sand, strolled the seawall, grabbed iced coffees, and had a picnic lunch on the grass. And one of my very favourite parts? Waving to our shadows and making them jump and dance along the beach. Seriously – is there anything more entertaining than watching a toddler discover the wonder of shadows? I’ve been soaking up moments just like these for the last couple of weeks and just can’t get enough. Today she even crouched down to touch her shadow… Gosh, I love this girl to bits.